This is my fifth, a black swallowtail. I have 15 more chrysalids and 12 cats in the works, so things are really humming.
The garden is coming along really well, I will put up some pictures as soon as we get a few more plants to the blooming stage.
Another Release at Fielder House Garden.
On the Phlox Carolina.
Another shot, things are doing well Phlox, Coneflower, and Cowpen daisy.
Everyone looks great!
Adrienne
They look beautiful on that hot pink Phlox!
Josephine - Your garden seems to be blooming up a storm! Congrats on more emerging Butterflies to release and grace you garden. I am sure some will stick around or come back to raise a family there! Looks gorgeous!
Thank you Everyone, that garden was started last fall, here is what it looked like when we started.
The whole area had johnson and bermuda grass all over like the area by the fence.
Wow!
Look at all your hard work! Now it's paying off! I think thats why I like gardening....You really know when it works...or when it doesnt!
Adrienne
Great work, at the garden as well as rasing the BSTs!!
I have my first in chrystalis stage now, can't wait! I have some GSTs in another cage, one is pupating and two that are ready if they can push theirselves away from the food!
Thank you both, I really love how well it has turned out.
About the butterflies, it have 30 chrysalids in my cage right now, and ans 20 more cats, we are going full blast, and having loads if fun.
I will be showing more pictures later on.
Josephine.
I have about 7 BST cats on one fennel plant and there was a female laying more eggs on it today! I counted about 6 eggs. Anyone have fennel they want to share, I am afraid I will run out. I am not bringing them in because I can't cut it and still have enough for the others. I am thinking seriously about covering the plant though. I have two parsley plants that only have two cats just 3 foot away! Sure wish she would have laid the eggs there.
Sheila, you could buy some cut fennel at the supermarket, I know whole foos sells it, then put it in a moist plastic bag in your fridge, and it will last a long time, I do that with the different leaves I gather for them and it works.
You could also try moving them to the parsley, and see if they will go for it.
Josephine.
I had 10 BST cats on my Dill and the plant was very spindly and pitiful, not enough to feed all of them. I cut some of it and put it in the cage with Kroger Parsley and when the Dill was gone, they moved to the Parsley and they are all thriving, 4 have pupated and the others are close. One of my books says they will not switch, but mine did. It's worth a try.
And, like Josephine said...the plant pieces do last some time in a baggie in the fridge. Just make sure you rinse them off well, you never know what insecticide could be on them.
I noticed my BST cats switched over to dill too. They were born on parsley and that's what I have in the cage but it started to look wilted. After I put a few sprigs of dill in the cage, one of the cats moved over to it.
My BST cats were not picky eaters. If one food source ran out, they would adapt just fine to another. Mine always go for the dill first. Parsley second. :-)
Josephine - Looks like you've got it going on with all the chrysalis and cats! Congrats!
I agree with several of you ... to store plant cuttings in the fridge. You can also do that with milkweed. Just make sure you label the bag as it is NOT for human consumption! Poisonous!
Thanks for all of the input y'all!! I will make a lunch run to Central Market today, I know they will have some. I will try to get home and get them in before the hard rain starts tonight if I don't have time before I leave for wk. I had read they wouldn't move over to another food source. Maybe after a day of not eating, they will give in? Glad to know that they might in case I can't get the fennel.